Poison Ivy
by drywitticisms
Summary: As Bonnie Bennett feels the tendrils of dark magic fill her veins as she falls deeper and deeper under the influence of expression, she finds that she likes the feeling of power & control it gives her. After tragedy strikes, Bonnie finds herself fully giving into the power of Expression. Will she continue down this dark path or will she turn away and return to the light?
1. You're Cold As Ice

This is set _**post-4x01**_ , and is canon divergent. This is a fix-it fic, _of sorts_.

This _is_ a poly fic between Bonnie/Kol/Klaus, so keep that in mind. I just couldn't put that in the summary because of word limits. Grrrr!

Bonnie, Elena, & Damon still make the trip to Whitmore College, and Bonnie still meets Professor Shane. However, everything else post-4x01 does _**not**_ occur in this story. So yes, that means - no Klaroline, no sire bond, no cure, no hunter crap, no Mikaelson Family Drama (at least not in _that_ way), and no Hayley showing up to wreak havoc. Tyler still breaks free from his sire bond with Klaus, but it won't matter in the grand scheme of things. All you're left with is Bonnie and her expression magic and minor mentions of Elena struggling with her vampirism every now and again.

Essentially, this story will expand on Bonnie's expression story arc but it's going in a completely different direction altogether. Bonnie will go dark, even darker than the show gave us. On a minor note, Elena will struggle with her newfound vampirism but everyone will simply accept that this is her fate and it can't be changed.

We're completely throwing S4 out of the window, save for a few plot points. So, buckle up, kids!

* * *

"I can't believe you're still here. I know you've been watching me. You must be **really** bored." She said as she continued to flip through her grimoire.

Never looking up, the chair across from her slides back before the individual heavily plops down into the chair and leans onto the table with both arms.

"You're getting stronger, little witch. What else can you sense?"

"Nothing that I would tell you about. Do you really think I'm going to give away all my secrets?" Bonnie asked finally gifting her companion with her eyes.

"Of course not. I'm just curious about the things your professor has been teaching you."

"It's none of your business, Kol. Why are you here again?" Bonnie lowly scolded.

"You see, it _is_ my business. If you do what your meddling little professor says and raise Silas, then we're all going to die. You're going to bring about the end of the world, do you really want that?" Kol questioned.

"No, but I'm sick of being controlled and told what to do by the people around me who think they know best. So if I were you, I would watch what I say." Bonnie warned.

Kol simply smiled at her before leaning back in his seat, "I don't mean any harm; I'm just curious about your plans."

"You and I both know that's a lie. That's not why you're sitting here talking to me right now, but it won't work. Whatever it is that you have up your sleeve **won't** work. You're wasting your time."

"I don't have anything hidden up my sleeve. I'm just interested in the town witch and what she has planned to keep the world from ending."

"If I were a lesser witch, I would have thought you were being sincere but I'm not. So, again, all I can promise you for right now is simple - I don't plan on raising Silas. I have no beef against you or your siblings as long as you guys leave my town alone."

"I have nothing keeping me here, but it won't be as easy to convince my siblings to leave. For some strange reason, they've become quite taken with this quaint little town."

"You know, I never thought I'd ever say this in my entire life but I think you're the only Mikaelson I prefer these days. At least you don't pretend to be something you're not. You're aware of how awful you are, and I admire your willingness to admit to wanting to watch the world burn. When the time comes, I think I'll kill you last." Bonnie stated with an innocent smile.

"When you've lived as long as I have, little witch, life has a tendency to become dull sometimes. Variety is the spice of life." Kol quipped with a smirk.

Bonnie pasted a fake smile on her face before blinking at her temporary companion. She didn't believe a word he said, but she could play along. She could have an Original on retainer, but she didn't trust him enough for that. No, she'd just make him think she was playing ball with him. Trusting a Mikaelson was a death sentence. She wouldn't make that mistake again.

She'd put it to the test to see if he could be trusted just as soon as she did something about her father meddling in town affairs. She meant what she said - this was _her_ town, and she was handling things just fine until he came along. No one was going to take this town away from her - not her father, not the privileged entitled Mikaelsons, and definitely not Silas.

"Okay, Kol. Whatever you say. This was a fun chat, and I'm sure I'll see you again. I have more important things I need to do with my time. I'd say it was a pleasure, but then I'd be lying." Bonnie said before gathering her grimoire and cell phone.

Standing up from the wooden table, Kol simply looked up at her with his signature, creepy smirk, which slightly turned Bonnie's stomach but she powered through the fear.

"I'll be seeing you _very_ soon, little witch."

Bonnie squinted at him defiantly before quickly walking away from the table and out of the grill.

She did **not** need an Original vampire on her tail; but as long as he was watching her every move, she knew where he was. She didn't have to worry about him causing harm to people who didn't deserve it. It was better for him to stay close to her so she could keep tabs on him than for him to go trolling around Mystic Falls wreaking havoc on unsuspecting innocents.

Kol Mikaelson was the least of her problems. Right now, she needed to head home so she could brainstorm on what she needed to do about her father.

* * *

This idea came to me one day, and I just ran with it. Some of the dialogue and plot points may allude to some of the things we've seen in S4 of the show, but I promise it's nothing like it. I always felt like Bonnie got the sh*tty end of the stick, and I always felt like there was so much more potential in regards to a huge chunk of her story arcs. In the hands of better writers, S4 could have been a lot better. To be honest, the entire show could have been better. So, here's my take on what I feel the writers should have done differently in regards to Bonnie's S4 arc and to a lesser extent, the overarching S4 arc. The former is more of my priority; the latter is not. Since changing this part will change everything, this story will be **extremely** _canon divergent_ in every sense of the word.

I would keep that in mind when reading this story as Bonnie's story is my priority first and foremost, so I wouldn't expect much in the way of me focusing on other characters or other storylines here. As a reader, I would not expect that going forward. So, keep that in mind.

With that being said, this story will be in Bonnie's POV and only Bonnie's. If there's a special occasion or if I feel like certain characters are chasing me down so their voices can be heard, it may happen. I'm not making any promises, but it _could_ happen.


	2. On the Warpath

Sitting in her bedroom, Bonnie was so busy scribbling down notes as she voraciously read through her grimoire that she didn't hear a door open and close downstairs.

Ever since she'd met Professor Shane, Bonnie had to admit that she was becoming more and more interested in the full extent of her powers. Before she met him, she knew she wielded a certain amount of power. At least enough power where it made her a hot commodity along the East Coast.

It wasn't something she was particularly proud of at the time, but it was the truth. Unfortunately, there was a shortage of Bennett witches and word had quickly got around of her existence and her selflessness.

But now, she was embarking on a whole new journey and it was exciting and exhilarating, even. She never knew she could tap into some of the powers that Shane opened her eyes to. There was always limits and embargos on the things she could and couldn't do.

But not with this new form of magic Shane had introduced her to - expression.

When she used it for the first time, it scared her. She wasn't sure what it was, but it almost felt wrong. It felt like she was cheating, but Shane had explained to her that it wasn't cheating if it was her own magic.

He was right - it was **her** magic.

There was nothing deceptive about using her own magic and unlocking certain parts of herself to open herself up to more magic. No, nothing at all.

"Bonnie!" The voice exclaimed making Bonnie drop her grimoire on the floor along with her pen and journal.

"Didn't you hear me calling you?"

"No, Dad. I didn't hear you. I was a little preoccupied, at the moment." Bonnie explained.

"What did I tell you about using your magic?" Rudy questioned.

"I wasn't using my magic! I was just doing some research. There's nothing wrong with me finding out more about where I come from and about my family."

"But this is more than just that, isn't it? Bonnie, this is more than you just doing research on your family tree. You're dabbling in some seriously dangerous magic, and you're being taken for a ride." Rudy said.

"I'm not! I know what I'm doing. I've been doing this for awhile now, and it's funny how you think you can just waltz back into my life after not being around for most of it." Bonnie argued.

"I've apologized multiple times, and I don't know what else to say to make you understand why I had to leave. Maybe that's not what you want to hear, but I _am_ trying. I'm trying to make up for lost time. I'm trying to make up for what I did. Please let me." Rudy begged.

"If only it were that simple, Dad. Growing up without you and mom, things were different for me. I didn't have the same things that other kids had. My childhood wasn't as full of love and joy." Bonnie said. "I wish you coming back and trying to buy back my love was enough to fix it. I really did, but it's not."

"If you're not ready to forgive me for leaving, then that's your prerogative. You have every right to feel that way. All I ask is that you don't continue dabbling into this magic as a way to get back at me."

"You're still not listening to me! This has nothing to do with you. This has everything to do with me. It's not about you or Mom. Not this time. This has to do with me, and what I need to do." Bonnie explained.

Rudy looked at his daughter as if he didn't recognize her before releasing a deep sigh. He knew there wasn't anything he could do right now. Maybe it was best to shelf this argument for the time being, because neither one of them were getting anywhere.

He wanted so badly to fix their relationship, but he knew it would take a lot more than this. The presence of Professor Shane in her life was simply causing more harm than good. He'd gotten inside of her head, and infected her thinking with pretty words and calming tones.

There was nothing he could do about Professor Shane for right now, but he was already planning his next move to protect his daughter and this town. Whether Bonnie wanted him to or not.

"Okay, honey. Let's just step away from this conversation and give ourselves some time to cool off. I'll leave you to your research." Rudy said.

Bonnie threw him a small one-sided smile as she watched him walk out of her room before closing the door behind him.

She didn't know how to make him understand why she had to do this. It was important that she learn how to get a better handle of her new magical abilities if she was going to protect Mystic Falls.

It was times like these where she wished she had someone to talk to. Suddenly, she was struck with an odd idea. She didn't know why she hadn't thought of this before.

 _It was perfect!_

Grabbing her cell phone, she scrolled through her contacts before pressing 'send' on her phone. She listened to the phone ring a few times before she heard a voice on the other end.

"Hey, it's me."

"Cuz, I know it's you. I do have caller ID, you know? What's the point in having a cell phone if it can't do that?"

"Lucy, I don't know what to do. I've been learning this new form of magic with one of Grams' old co-workers and my dad doesn't think I should be doing this."

"New form of magic? What kind of magic, Bonnie?"

"Shane called it 'expression', but I don't know much about it."

"That doesn't sound good. If I remember correctly, expression was less on the magic fueled by the earth and nature side and more on the fueled by spirits of people killed in horrific ways and dark magic side. Please don't tell me that's what he's teaching you."

"You make it seem like we're killing puppies, Lucy. It's not that bad."

"Oh, but it is. I know you're new to this whole magic thing. But one of the few things I was taught was to stay far, far away from magic that didn't use natural elements of the earth."

"I can take care of myself, and you're sounding like my father."

"Rudy may be wrong about a lot of things, but he's probably right about this. I would listen to him, Bon." Lucy stated.

Bonnie rolled her eyes at Lucy's words. She loved her cousin dearly, but she didn't understand. She didn't understand what it felt like to be pushed around and used for her magic until there was nothing left. She didn't know what it felt like to be rendered helpless and powerless, even though she had this arsenal of magic under her belt.

"You're right; there's nothing good that can come from this. There's a reason why Grams never told me about this kind of magic." Bonnie lied. "Hey, look Luce, I have to go. We should catch up sometime whenever you're free."

"It's a date." Lucy said. "But please remember what I said; I would hate to watch you be consumed by this magic. It's bad news."

"Don't worry; you've given me some great advice. I'll talk to you soon!" Bonnie replied before hanging up without waiting for Lucy's reply.

She didn't need any more lecturing; she needed someone to understand why she had to do this.

Her family treated her like she was made of glass, and it was irritating. For as long as the adults in her life were off busy trying to find themselves, she did just fine on her own. It was annoying having to go through the process of dealing with adults who thought they knew best after taking a break from her life for fifteen years. She didn't blame Lucy, at least not really. Their conversation just served as a reminder of what she needed to do.

Bending down to pick up her supplies from the floor, she went back to work.

* * *

 **There's not much in the way of Kennett or Klonnie in this chapter, but be patient. We need to lay the foundation for some other things before we can move on to the good stuff. There's a method to my madness, and all I ask is that you trust me on this.**

 **This was an easy chapter to write, which means I have a decent grip on Bonnie's character. Her voice is really loud, so I'm able to really capture the essence of it enough to deliver another chapter to all you lovely people so soon.**

 **I really appreciate all the lovely comments I received on my first chapter. I reply to all my comments, so never stop giving me your feedback. I also appreciate my silent readers, as well. You may not comment, but I still see the hit count so I know you guys are reading.**


	3. You Are What You Are

**Hey guys! I was running into some hardware issues with my laptop, and I managed to find a short-term fix that enabled me to post this chapter. You're welcome! ;P**

 **While I was trying to figure out ways to deliver this chapter to you guys, I managed to finish Chapter 4. So, the next chapter should be posted fairly soon as long as I don't run into any more hardware issues. I start training for my first post-graduate job on Tuesday, so I'm not particularly sure when you guys will get a Chapter 5 unfortunately. I started on it, but I've hit a minor snag. Just a minor bout of Writers Block, which is strange because it's only been for this story.**

 **I managed to churn out a brand new one-shot for another story in a completely different fandom. Go figure!**

 **Anyway, I've rambled on long enough. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Just remember it's all about world-building right now, unfortunately. Things are still slightly dull, but the action will definitely kick off in the next chapter.**

 **I would really love to hear from you guys, so send me love!**

* * *

In the midst of her attempting to consume every little thing she knew about her magic and Expression, she felt deeply disconnected from her friends.

It'd been a few days since she saw Elena, and she was curious to know how her best friend was faring.

Bonnie knew it couldn't be easy having to cope with becoming something different.

She went through the same thing with Caroline all those months ago, and she could only imagine what Elena was going through.

The two couldn't be more different, especially in regard to how they responded to their current undead lives. Caroline took to her vampirism like a fish to water, even reveling in the fact that she was somehow made _better_.

Elena, on the other hand, didn't do much planning for after. No, Elena wrongfully assumed that her death would be the quick fix-it everyone needed to solve the problems that befell her family and friends.

Unfortunately, things weren't necessarily that simple. It never was.

Elena didn't think about the alternative - becoming a vampire. The alternative never even crossed her mind. So naturally, she was traumatized by the concept of being this monster she never wanted to become.

What's done is done, and there was nothing they could do about it now.

Elena's death and subsequent transition into becoming one of the undead put many things into perspective. For Bonnie, Elena's death was the straw that broke the camel's back.

With Klaus forcing her hand with Tyler and his hybrids and Elena's death, Bonnie wondered when the hits would stop. There was always one hit after another, and they just kept coming.

Bonnie's life wasn't particularly the best before the supernatural came into her life, but she couldn't help but blame the Mikaelson clan for making her life even worse than it already was.

Ever since Elijah Mikaelson and his siblings forced their way into her life, things had gotten progressively worse. They couldn't just leave well enough alone, and now here they were proving to be a craw in Bonnie's side.

Their lives weren't particularly _ideal_ when Stefan and Damon came to town, and her Grams died as a result of their presence in Mystic Falls. However, Stefan and Damon proved themselves to be rather useful when the time came.

Fortunately for Bonnie, her lessons with Professor Shane changed the way she viewed things now.

Learning to tap into her magical abilities from Luka and now Shane helped her view magic in a different light. Magic was all about harnessing the power of naturally occurring phenomenon and using them to your benefit.

Expression allowed her to do that and then some.

With everything having a purpose, she realized that the same went for people.

Being that the people around her never hesitated to use her when they wanted, she was slowly but surely realizing that she needed to look out for her own best interests.

She refused to continue living under the thumb of people who didn't care about her and her well-being. This is what her Grams talked about, but she didn't realize it until it was too late.

There was nothing wrong with learning and becoming more accustomed to her natural magical abilities. The issue stemmed from what she did with her gift.

Her Grams tried to teach her many things, but Bonnie wouldn't listen. That was something she would come to regret for the rest of her life.

Her magic was a beautiful thing, as long as she didn't allow anyone to take advantage of her and it.

Which is why she found herself knocking on Professor Shane's office door in the middle of the afternoon.

He'd given her a copy of his class schedule when he started mentoring her, and she found it rather useful whenever she needed more information on something she came across in her grimoire.

Opening the door, Bonnie was met with the haggard face of her new mentor.

Pushing past him to get into his office, she spoke, "What happened to you?"

"I haven't been getting any sleep. With your father calling for my head and the vampires in this town not necessarily appreciating our lessons together, it's been difficult to quiet my mind."

"Vampires? Which one?"

"The one with the ever-present smirk, brown hair, and thick British accent?"

"You're going to have to be a little more specific than that; I know lots of vampires who fit that description." Bonnie said with a small smile.

"The one who's rather fond of pea coats?"

"Kol."

"Is that his name? I didn't catch it; I was too busy trying to get away with my life." Shane replied gesturing towards the palm-shaped bruises littering the pale skin of his forearm.

Bonnie rolled her eyes at his words as she tried remembering the last time she'd even _seen_ Kol. She sensed his presence throughout the day as she ran errands around town, but she hadn't laid eyes on him since that night at the grill.

She needed to figure out a better way of keeping tabs on him. She couldn't allow him to continue running amok around town. At least not while she was in the midst of tapping into the full extent of her powers.

She needed to concentrate on her magic, so she could get a better handle on it and she didn't need any distractions. Even without actually seeing him, he was still being a pain in her ass.

"So, what did he say?" Bonnie asked.

"Apparently, he's not a fan of our partnership and he told me to stay away from you."

Bonnie scoffed, "Really? Kol thinks he can dictate who my friends are. That's hilarious."

"Hilarious?! Bonnie, I don't think you quite grasp the gravity of the situation. An Original vampire wants me to stay far, far away from you!"

"He's harmless, and I'm sure you've been exposed to far more dangerous vampires than a vampire who walks around wearing pea coats." Bonnie said as she walked further into his office.

Shane simply stared at her incredulously.

"Don't worry about it. If he scares you that much, I'll take care of it." Bonnie replied with a sigh and a wave before plopping down in the chair in front of Shane's wooden desk.

"You'll .. you'll take _care_ of it? What does that mean?" He questioned before quickly striding towards her.

Bonnie shrugged carelessly, "It means exactly what it sounds. I'll take care of it, so he won't bother you anymore."

Seemingly searching for something, Shane's eyes quickly shifted between both of Bonnie's. It was almost like he was trying to find the answer to all of life's questions.

Sighing to himself, he spoke, "Bonnie, I want to help you. I really do, but hearing you say things like that makes me worry about you."

"Worry? There's no need to worry. I have everything under control; I've been practicing on my own and I've even been keeping my nose in my grimoire. Well, technically, it was Grams' old grimoire but it does the job."

"I'm not worried about that. I worry that you're biting off more than you can chew with this."

"Why is that, Professor Shane? Hmm?" Bonnie questioned with a suspicious eyebrow raised. "Expression is harmless, right? What's there to worry about unless there's something you haven't told me yet?"

"What? Of course not!" Shane defensively exclaimed. "Expression just pulls on what's already buried inside of you. It just helps pull your natural strengths forth, so you're able to bend the magic to your will. So if there's a darkness inside you, it will take advantage of it and express it in the same way."

"The last time I was here - you talked about meditation and how I could use it to my advantage to harness the magic." Bonnie replied changing the subject.

"Right." Shane hesitantly replied as he looked at her suspiciously. "Meditation helps calm your mind and your body in a safe way. It centers you, and you need to be able to center yourself whenever you begin digging deep enough to unlock the fullest extent of your magical abilities."

"The calm is what helps me stay focused and keeps my emotions from controlling me, which could affect the way I express my magic, right?"

"Exactly! When your emotions are all over the place, you can easily lose control of Expression and things can go horribly wrong."

"If it's so easy to lose control of this type of magic in the first place, what's the point of learning it?"

"Oh, Bonnie. There's a whole wealth of knowledge at your fingertips, just from being a witch alone. You have natural abilities that most people would kill to have." Shane explained. "Learning Expression is just about unlocking the full potential of your own magic but in a non-traditional way."

"You've given me that spiel a dozen times now. What does any of this have to do with Silas?"

"Silas plans on raising the dead. Isn't that enough for you to want to help things along? I know you would love to see your grandmother again."

"Is that it though? What's in it for you? I help raise Silas, and he brings my Grams back. What about you? Why are you so dedicated to the cause?" Bonnie rudely questioned.

She knew there was something else he was hiding, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She knew there was some truth to what her father said about Shane taking her for a ride, but she needed more proof.

She and her father didn't quite see eye to eye, but he still cared enough to not want to see her get hurt. Or worse.

"My wife is dead. I'm a simple man who wants to see his wife again. That's all." Shane calmly stated as he folded his arms across his chest.

"And what's in it for _him_? Why is **he** so hell-bent on coming back in the first place?" Bonnie asked.

"I don't know why vampires do what they do, Bonnie. I just feel like there's no point in looking a gift horse in the mouth." Shane vaguely replied.

"Okay, I'm ready to get back to the meditation segment of my lessons now." Bonnie finally stated after a few minutes of silence realizing he was never going to give her a definite answer.

She knew that wasn't the whole story, and she was determined to chase down the truth. She hoped, for Shane's sake, that he told her the truth before she figured things out on her own.

Once that happened, there would be no more need for one Professor Atticus Shane.

She didn't want to kill him; she just needed to get him out of the way.

She hated even entertaining the thought of such a thing, because it wasn't her. She _saved_ people, not **hurt** them. But she'd quickly learn the hard way that people don't often treat you the same way you treat them.

Unlike Bonnie, most people ran more on the selfish side of things and tended to only look out for themselves. Shane was no different in the grand scheme of things.

He was an okay guy, but he was just like the rest of them - trying to control her and use her for his own personal gain.

The thought of Shane preying on her innocence and inexperience filled her with an unusual pang of sadness, which soon turned into resentment.

It was in that moment that Bonnie vowed to learn more about Shane's motives and Expression on her own. No more would she allow someone to control her through her own ignorance and naivete.


	4. Filled With Poison

**Hey guys! So it's like I told you when I updated the previous chapter, it may be awhile before you get another chapter. I finished my first week of training today, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to be too tired to write anything for awhile, at least for the next 2-3 weeks. Maybe even more, so I'm just reminding you guys because I love you so much.**

 **But without further ado, here's the chapter! And as always, please shoot me a comment and tell me what you thought about it.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Quickly sitting up in her bed, Bonnie was dragged from her sleep by a strange feeling.

She had never felt like this in her entire life. It didn't feel like pain; it sort of felt like a mild menstrual cramp.

Swinging her legs over the edge of the bed and onto the floor, she stood up with the intent of grabbing a glass of water to ease the weird sensation.

No sooner than she took three steps towards her bedroom door, the feeling stopped.

There wasn't any residual tendrils of the feeling lurking around, and it baffled her. She tried remembering if her dreams yielded any explanations to her current predicament.

She knew she was dreaming, but she couldn't remember _what_ the dream was about. She did remember a stifling feeling of heat. Maybe a fire? Maybe a house going up in flames?

Grabbing her phone, she hadn't received any messages. So, her friends were safe as far as she knew.

But something had **definitely** gone down in their little town.

Quickly pulling on the first thing she could find in her closet that was warm enough, she tiptoed out of the house before her father could hear her.

Jumping in her car, she pulled out of her driveway and followed wherever her instincts took her.

When she finally arrived at the farm, it was already swamped with firefighters, paramedics, and police officers.

Parking down the street, she decided to sneak behind the bushes to get a better look.

It was Pastor Young's farm, but she couldn't determine if he was one of the victims. At least not from where she was hiding.

She knew there were casualties, and she was only able to count 9.

She felt sick to her stomach at the idea of all those people dying. She couldn't have stopped it, but she still felt guilty about it.

Gleaning as much information as she could, she took one last look at the farm before getting into her car and driving away.

* * *

Sitting in the middle of a clearing wasn't the safest place for most people, but Bonnie wasn't just anyone.

She impulsively decided to convene with the spirits and nature in the middle of the forest. It was the perfect place to meditate so she could center herself.

The bad energy wafting off the farm accident this morning was taking its toll on her.

No one, supernatural or otherwise, would take the chance of attacking her.

Especially not now.

"You know, vampires may be stealthy but witches see all." Bonnie replied with her eyes still closed.

Hearing a few branches break, her visitor no longer felt compelled to hide from her.

"Well, well, well, love." A voice replied forcing her to open her eyes.

 _Klaus_.

She hadn't seen him in a few days ago, but she knew he was still hanging around Mystic Falls.

Standing to her feet, she easily fell into defensive mode.

"I've just about hit my monthly quota with the Mikaelson family, so what is it that _you_ want? I'm kind of busy right now, and I'm not taking any appointments." Bonnie said.

"You wound me, love. I thought, out of all my siblings, I was your favorite." He said before he began circling her like prey. "We always did share a special bond, the two of us."

"You mean when you were forcing me to do your bidding while you hurt my friends? Doubtful." Bonnie shot back.

"Enough with the flirting, love." Klaus stated dropping the facade as his expression melted into one of unrestrained anger. "You and I have some unfinished business we need to attend to."

This was the Klaus Bonnie knew, and she was slowly counting down the minutes before he went back to his old self. She was surprised he even lasted this long.

"What business could the two of us possibly have?"

"There was an explosion this morning, and an odd number of people were killed."

"9 people died."

"Wrong. 12 people died. 9 people may have died instantly, but 3 people have perished since then."

Bonnie's heart dropped to her feet. She didn't know that. She turned off her phone when she came here and she'd been in this clearing for hours now.

"Why'd you say an 'odd' number of people died then?"

"Because 12 people just don't die every day. Now, tell me, witch. What did the police say?"

"They suspect foul play. They think it may have been arson."

"Right! Someone intentionally killed 12 people. Why?" Klaus asked.

"I don't know."

"Come on, you're smarter than that. Why?"

Bonnie was stumped. She didn't know what he was getting at, but it didn't take her long to figure it out.

She thought about what Lucy said about Expression being the magic that resulted from the deaths of innocent people dying in horrific ways. She was too irritated to ask Lucy to elaborate more on the subject, but it still stood out to her.

"For a spell. Someone killed 12 people as a ritual for a spell." Bonnie finally replied.

"Right again!" Klaus exclaimed before quickly appearing in front of her.

Wrapping both of his hands around her throat and using his body to force her against a tree, he surprised her but she suspected that was the whole point of this twisted game in the first place.

"My darling brother told me a story about a meddling human and a witch trying to raise a very powerful being, and I initially paid it no mind. But then, 12 people were killed!" Klaus exploded.

Struggling to breathe, Bonnie quickly forced Klaus away from her and onto the ground with her telekinesis.

Wit a flick of her wrist, Klaus's body writhed in pain as his screams echoed throughout the forest.

"Now, let's try this again." Bonnie started. "I had nothing to do with any of this. Neither Shane nor I had anything to do with those people dying."

Every time he tried to stand up, she would break a limb - usually a leg, sometimes an arm.

If he couldn't walk, then he couldn't get to her.

"Why do you think this was our doing?" Bonnie accused as she allowed him to heal enough to answer her questions.

Rising onto his knees, he looked up at her with hatred and anger in his eyes.

Bonnie simply smirked at him, "You would do well to remember that we can do this all day if you want. But if you want some answers, you're going to follow the rules like a good little vampire. Since I'm in a gracious mood, I'll give you a chance to speak your peace."

Klaus simply stared at her without saying anything.

"Speak!" She exclaimed before twisting her wrist to break his right arm again.

Screaming out in pain, he took a deep, calming breath before Bonnie stopped again.

"The power you need to be able to raise Silas comes from murdering a group of a specific number of people and in designated spots around town to carve out a triangle. It's called an Expression triangle." He replied through gritted teeth.

"I read about it. Now, why would you think this incident has anything to do with Shane and me?"

"There are no coincidences, love. You're being taught the ways of Expression, and a group of 12 people are killed in a massive explosion _right_ after you start your lessons." Klaus said with a smug forced smile.

Bonnie was speechless.

Usually, she had a comeback for everything Klaus threw at her. But this time? Nothing.

She was torn between wanting to believe him and wanting to kick his teeth in. Sure, Shane was shady but was he capable of murder? That was the real question.

Not to mention the fact that Bonnie wasn't so sure she should be putting her trust into someone like Klaus Mikaelson in the first place. He may be telling the truth, but he was still someone who had yet to prove that he wasn't out for himself.

"Say I believe you. Let's say you're telling the truth here. I just have one question - why?" Bonnie asked.

Klaus scoffed at her words as he looked past her and out into the distance, "Your professor hasn't told you much about Silas, has he? Silas knows how to get inside of your head and exploit your weaknesses. He knows how to make you do his bidding by somehow making you think that it was your idea all along."

"There are still limitations to what old vampires can do though. Even with you and your siblings, you may be old and that's a source of power and strength for you. However, you're not completely bulletproof. How did Silas manage to reach Shane from wherever he is in the world?"

"I assume he visited Silas's resting place at some point, and Silas was able to create a psychic connection with him."

"Do you know where this resting place is?" Bonnie questioned as she circled Klaus allowing herself to think clearly.

"Not exactly. I know many things, but I don't know that."

"It doesn't matter anyway. If what you say is true, it won't matter." Bonnie said mostly to herself as she continued to mull over this influx of information she was suddenly gifted with.

"It should. The clock is ticking, witch. You're going to have to make a choice, because time is wasting." Klaus replied with a smirk.

Bonnie simply rolled her eyes at him as she continued to review every possible explanation for what she'd just been told.

She was still unable to accept that Shane was anything more than a flawed professor who allowed his grief to make some seriously screwed up decisions for him. Shane may not have been as forthcoming as she would like, but he wasn't exactly cruel.

She couldn't fathom that someone like Shane would be perfectly fine with murdering 12 innocent people. From their lessons, he seemed to have more integrity than that; he just didn't strike her as the type.

But then, the grief angle kept niggling at the back of her mind.

There was no shortage of things she wouldn't do if it meant bringing her Grams back, so she couldn't exactly say she wouldn't make the same choice if given the opportunity.

But _murder_?

There was a line to be drawn, and murder was the line for most people.

But now, she wasn't so sure.

"What I don't get is why you and Kol care so much about me not raising Silas in the first place. I appreciate the help and all, but I don't buy the two of you actually giving a shit about anyone but yourselves." Bonnie fired back.

"That's where you're wrong. What's the point of living as long as we have only to watch the world implode because someone thought it was a good idea to bring back the dead?"

"Technically, _**you're**_ dead."

"You know what I mean, love. I'm _un_ dead, but I'm not **dead**. I never crossed over into the Other Side and neither have any of my siblings, with the exception of Finn, of course." Klaus explained.

"You have to ask yourself - if these spirits passed over to the Other Side, what will they come back to? What will they be once they come back? Do you really want to take the chance of any of these spirits coming back as something even more dangerous than vampires?"

Bonnie didn't want to admit it, but he had a point. As much as she loved her Grams, she had no way of knowing if the older woman would even come back as herself. She had no way of knowing if she would come back wrong somehow. There were too many variables to consider, and that was Silas's goal - to raise the dead, or so Shane said.

Both Shane and Klaus filled in the blanks she needed, but she was still curious to know why Silas wanted to do this at all. That's what worried her.

This vampire who was supposedly omniscient and all-powerful couldn't come back on his own, and needed an Expression triangle to form to gain enough power to cast a spell to bring him back.

 _It's because he doesn't have enough power on his own._

He needed someone to cast the spell in order to do what he wanted. He needed a Bennett witch. He needed **her**.

While she thought this chat with Klaus would enlighten her, it did the exact opposite.

All this conversation did was serve to further confuse her. She didn't know what to do.

"So, have you made a decision yet?" Klaus asked.

"If I had, you'd be the last to know. I'll let you go for now, but I want you to remember our little chat." Bonnie said.

Opening her mind and allowing herself to pluck at the invisible thread allowing her to torture Klaus, she gently removed her magic from him and watched as he fell to the ground.

Quickly standing to his feet, he simply stared at her with an unreadable expression.

"You know, I've always kept witches in my arsenal. But I don't think I've quite met a witch like you before. You are absolutely fascinating, Bonnie Bennett."

"I'm flattered." Bonnie replied in a deadpan voice.

He smirked at her words before blinking out of her purview.

She no longer felt his presence, so she knew he was gone for good. Taking in everything that was just revealed to her, Bonnie finally decided it was time to go home.

She needed her rest, and she didn't want to be bothered so she kept her phone turned off. She still had so much to do, but she was in no rush to complete any of it.

 _There's always tomorrow._


End file.
